Research: Trompe L'oeil

Trompe L’oeil, meaning “trick of the eye”, is an art technique that employs the use of an optical illusion to suggest a three-dimensional image. The technique is used predominantly in drawing and painting, but also appears in other media, such as cartoons like the “Looney Tunes” and films like “Singin’ in the Rain”. Many forms of Trompe L’oeil rely on perspective, particularly wall and floor murals, in which the illusion can only be observed from a particular angle. The origins of these murals date as far back as classical times, where the ancient Greeks and Romans used wall paintings of open doors, windows and balconies in houses to make rooms appear larger and more open.

Escaping Criticism

Pere Borrell del Caso, 1874

Oil on canvas

76cm x 63cm

The "trick of the eye" in Pere Borrell del Caso’s Escaping Criticism is the frame, which we believe to be the frame around the painting of the boy. But the frame is part of the painting itself, and as the boy grabs it and steps onto it, the artist creates the illusion that he is the climbing out of the painting.

The Crevasse

Edward Müller, 2008

Paint on pavement

250 square metres

The Crevasse by Edward Müller is an example of a Trompe L’oeil illusion that can only be observed from a certain perspective. From the position of the photographer, the image appears three-dimensional, but from the opposite side of the painting, the image would appear flat and the illusion would not be seen.

Still Life with Chair Caning

Pablo Picasso

Oil on oil-cloth over canvas, edged with rope

29cm x 37cm

Pablo Picasso's Still Life with Chair Caning combines two-dimensional and three-dimensional imagery to create the illusion within the painting. The everyday objects painted inside the rope are depicted in two-dimensional cubism and are layered over the caning, which is realistically painted to create the three-dimensional aspect.